RUSSIANS ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS AND CCW

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 003494 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2017 TAGS: MOPS NATO PARM PREL CH PK RS SUBJECT: RUSSIANS ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS AND CCW REF: A. MOSCOW 2693 ¶B. STATE 73160 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel A. Russell. Reasons 1.4 ( B/D). ¶1. (C) The Russians acknowledge that we have similar positions on cluster munitions and share the aim of keeping their discussion within the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW). They also share our aim of trying to coordinate positions on cluster munitions well in advance of the November meeting of states parties to the CCW. ¶2. (C) MFA Disarmament and Security Affairs Director Anatoliy Antonov, however, told DCM July 12 that the Russian side simply did not understand the US decision to seek a new negotiating mandate on cluster munitions within the CCW. His principal question was about the US' desired outcome; he stressed that starting a process without a clear objective was not a recipe for success, particularly given the agendas of some other CCW states parties. ¶3. (C) Antonov asked for a food-for-thought paper on the US position and desired outcome as soon as possible, so that Russia could better understand our intent. He suggested that, as a follow-up, the US consider sending technical experts to Moscow for discussions before November. BURNS